. >>> the upper chamber of russia votes to oppose americans adopting russian orphans. they sanction russians seen as violators, some 740,000 children lack parental custody in russia. >>> the world's longest high speed train rail is a reality. the train cuts a trip from 20 hours to 8. it's over a 1,428-mile trip. the first left beijing this morning. >>> celebrity baby news in the form of the picture from jessica jump son in a tweet. her daughter maxwell with the words "big sis" in the sand in front of her. seems to confirm rumors the 32-year-old singer is once again pregnant. >>> despite slashing prices, it was a disappointing holiday season for retailers. cnbc's jackie deangelis is here. how's it going? >> good morning, richard. the numbers are in and not pretty. according to mastercard spending pulse unit, sales for the eight weeks up to christmas rose only .7 of a percent from a year ago. compared with expectations of 3% to 4% growth and a 2% figure last year, and it's really not that fantastic. not only was the overall number disappointing, but the online numbers mi